Minneapolis - Two losses to Iowa last season eventually cost Wisconsin at least a share of the Big Ten basketball title.

If the Badgers come up short this season, they will be able to point to their 58-53 overtime loss to Minnesota Thursday night at Williams Arena.

The Badgers held a 49-43 lead with 5 minutes 8 seconds left in regulation after Ryan Evans hit 1 of 2 free-throw attempts but went scoreless over the final five-plus minutes as Minnesota rallied to force overtime, on two free throws by Joe Coleman with 17.4 seconds left.

The Badgers didn't score in the overtime until freshman Sam Dekker (14 points) hit two free throws with 1:20 left to pull UW within 54-51. They hit just 1 of 10 field-goal attempts in overtime and scored a total of six points over the final 11:11.

Senior Jared Berggren, who missed a three-pointer from the left wing with UW trailing, 54-51, in the final 40 seconds of the overtime, acknowledged afterward that although the Badgers have six league games left, this loss could ultimately cost them a chance to win the title.

"Absolutely," said Berggren, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds. "The last few games we found a way to grind it out and make just enough plays to come out with the win.

"There's a lot of games left, but if things do come out where we end up a game short or something like that, this is definitely one you can look back on and have some regrets."

UW (17-8, 8-4 Big Ten) dropped into a three-way tie for third place, two games behind co-leaders Indiana (22-3, 10-2) and Michigan State (21-4, 10-2).

Idle Michigan (21-4, 8-4) and Ohio State (18-6, 8-4), which recorded a 69-59 victory over Northwestern on Thursday, are tied with UW.

Ohio State visits the Kohl Center at noon Sunday.

Minnesota (18-7, 6-6),which got 21 points from Andre Hollins, including seven of the Gophers' nine points in the overtime, and 11 points from Austin Hollins, snapped a two-game losing streak and won for only the third time in the last nine games.

"The sky was falling around here," Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said. "So sometimes when the sky is falling and you're laying under the ceiling, you think the ceiling is going to cave in on you.

"They wanted it, but we had to have it. I thought that was the key tonight."

UW's players and coaches will be able to identify many factors that led to the defeat, beginning in the final seconds of regulation.

UW had a 49-47 lead and the ball out of bounds after Mike Bruesewitz drew a charging call on Austin Hollins with 22.6 seconds left in regulation.

On the inbound play Bruesewitz took several steps to his left, a violation, and Minnesota was awarded the ball.

"That was my fault; I messed it up," said Bruesewitz, who sensed he was getting close to a five-second call. "I knew I shouldn't have moved. We had a timeout left."

After the turnover, Coleman drove into the lane and drew foul on Dekker. A 63.3% free-throw shooter in league games, Coleman hit both shots.

Jackson, who hit the game-winner against the Gophers in the teams' first meeting, then drove into traffic and misfired on a contested jumper from near the free-throw line.

"I just didn't make a play," Jackson said. "I thought I got fouled, but I've got to make a play. They're not going to call a foul in that situation."

UW finished 10 of 17 from the free-throw line (58.8%), 7 of 28 from three-point range (25%) and 18 of 59 overall (30.5%).

Jackson (3 of 14) and Evans (2 of 8 on field-goal attempts and 2 of 8 from the line) struggled to finish near the basket.

"You can't go 5 for 22 with two players who can get looks," UW coach Bo Ryan said. "If he (Evans) makes his free throws we're out of here. We're on a plane already.

"What I am going to do with the guy? You knew it was going to get us one game, hopefully not two. What can you say?